China’s defence minister to visit Russia, Belarus this week

SpaceWar.com reports: “Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu will visit Russia and Belarus this week, his ministry said on Monday, as relations between Beijing and Moscow flourish with high-level visits and phone calls.

Ties have remained warm in recent years, with China refusing to speak out against Russia’s widely condemned invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

Li has refused to hold meetings with US counterparts until Washington lifts sanctions on him, imposed for his procurement of Russian military technology.

An aide to Vladimir Putin said last month the Russian president was planning to visit China in October, and in March President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Moscow and declared relations between the two countries were entering a new era.

China and Russia also held joint naval exercises in July as Li called for closer bilateral cooperation between the two navies…”

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